Agenda item

Motion for Time Limited Debate 1 – Public Rights of Way cross party working group

Proposer: Mike Sole

Seconder: Antony Hook

Background information – Provided by the Liberal Democrat Group

Kent’s Public Rights of Way (PROW) are a well-loved and essential community asset. Found throughout the county, but particularly in the rural areas, they are the highways and byways of those travelling by foot, of horse back or cycling. 

The PROW network is also extensively used for leisure purposes, both by residents and tourists, yet the backlog of outstanding works gets no smaller and residents are increasingly frustrated about delays in maintaining the network. 

The funds allocated to resolve the issue are inadequate and a new approach is required.

Motion

The County Council agrees;

·         To the establishment of a cross party working group to consider how best to maintain the Public Rights of Way network;

·         That the output of the working group will be considered by the responsible Executive Members for progression via any necessary formal governance arrangements; and

·         That update reports on the activity of the working party be provided to the Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee not less than once per annum while the working group remains in operation.

The working group’s remit will include (but not be limited to):

1. Establishing, with local input, a list of priority routes for quicker review and resolution of problems.
2. Reviewing options for directly funding parish and town councils to attend to issues in their areas, whilst ultimately retaining the statutory duty to maintain. 
3. Review options for sponsorship or adoption of routes by community organisations, individuals, and businesses.
4. Review targets for acting on reported faults and look into ways of improving updates with those making reports. 
5. Provide clear information on vegetation cutting schedules and identification of KCC and private gates, stiles etc.
6. Seek to improve access by considering ways of speeding up the replacement of stiles with gates, recommend targets for doing so, and look at ways of helping landowners in making required changes. 

Motion for Time Limited Debate 2 – Home to School Transport

Proposer – Rich Lehmann

Seconder – Mike Baldock

Background information – Provided by the Green & Independent Group

There are currently considerable areas of the county where children are less able to access a Grammar School because, for the purpose of home to school transport, the nearest 'appropriate' school is a non-selective mainstream school. Of the 4,400 Kent students that are eligible for free home to school transport, just 5% are Grammar school pupils. Given that 31% of secondary school pupils in Kent currently attend a Grammar school, this highlights the number of pupils that are disadvantaged by the current policy.

This Council believes every child should have the same opportunity to achieve their best, irrespective of where they live or their financial circumstances. In contrast to Kent County Council’s policy, Medway Council consider a Medway Grammar school as the nearest suitable qualifying school for pupils who have passed the Medway Test.

Motion

This Council commits to changing the approach to providing free school transport so that if a child is accepted by their nearest Grammar school, KCC will consider it the nearest ‘appropriate school’ for the purposes of awarding home to school transport.

Motion for Time Limited Debate 1 – Public Rights of Way cross party working group:

(1)       Mr Sole proposed and Mr Hook seconded the following motion for time-limited debate:

“The County Council agrees:

·       To the establishment of a cross party working group to consider how best to maintain the Public Rights of Way network;

·       That the output of the working group will be considered by the responsible Executive Members for progression via any necessary formal governance arrangements; and

·       That update reports on the activity of the working party be provided to the Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee not less than once per annum while the working group remains in operation.

The working group’s remit will include (but not be limited to):

1.    Establishing, with local input, a list of priority routes for quicker review and resolution of problems.

2.    Reviewing options for directly funding parish and town councils to attend to issues in their areas, whilst ultimately retaining the statutory duty to maintain.

3.    Review options for sponsorship or adoption of routes by community organisations, individuals, and businesses.

4.    Review targets for acting on reported faults and look into ways of improving updates with those making reports.

5.    Provide clear information on vegetation cutting schedules and identification of KCC and private gates, stiles etc.

6.    Seek to improve access by considering ways of speeding up the replacement of stiles with gates, recommend targets for doing so, and look at ways of helping landowners in making required changes.”

(2)       Following the debate, the Chairman put the substantive motion set out in paragraph 2 to the vote. The voting was as follows:

For (17)

Mr M Baldock, Mr S R Campkin, Mr P C Cooper, Ms M Dawkins, Mrs T Dean, MBE, Mr P M Harman, Mr M A J Hood, Mr A J Hook, Mr A Kennedy, Rich Lehmann, Mr B H Lewis, Ms J Meade, Mr M J Sole, Mr P Stepto, Mr R G Streatfeild, MBE, Dr L Sullivan, Mr R J Thomas

Against (45)

Mr N Baker, ,Mr P V Barrington-King, Mr P Bartlett, Mr C Beart, Mrs C Bell, Mr T Bond, Mr A Booth, Mr T Cannon, Miss S J Carey, Mrs S Chandler, Mr N J D Chard, Mrs P T Cole, Mr P Cole, Mr N J Collor, Mr D Crow-Brown, Mr M Dendor, Mr R W Gough, Ms S Hamilton, Mr P M Hill, OBE, Mr A R Hills, Mrs S V Hohler, Mr S Holden, Mr D Jeffrey, Mr R C Love, OBE, Mr S C Manion, Mr R A Marsh, Mr J P McInroy, Mr J Meade, Mr D Murphy, Mr P J Oakford, Mr J M Ozog, Mrs L Parfitt-Reid, Mrs S Prendergast, Mr H Rayner, Mr A M Ridgers, Mr D Robey, Mr D Ross, Mr A Sandhu, MBE, Mr T L Shonk, Mr B J Sweetland, Mr D Watkins, Mr A Weatherhead, Mr S Webb, Mr J Wright and Ms L Wright

Abstain (0)

Motion lost.

Motion for Time Limited Debate 2 – Home to School Transport

(1)       Mr Lehmann proposed, and Mr Baldock seconded the following motion for time-limited debate:

“This Council commits to changing the approach to providing free school transport so that if a child is accepted by their nearest Grammar school, KCC will consider it the nearest ‘appropriate school’ for the purposes of awarding home to school transport.”

Mr Watts clarified a point about the equality act.

(2)       Following the debate, the Chairman put the substantive motion set out in paragraph 2 to the vote. The voting was as follows:

For (19)

Mr M Baldock, Mr S R Campkin, Mr P C Cooper, Ms M Dawkins, Mrs T Dean, MBE, Ms K Grehan, Mr P M Harman, Mr M A J Hood, Mr A J Hook, Mr A Kennedy, Rich Lehmann, Mr B H Lewis, Ms J Meade, Mrs L Parfitt-Reid, Mr T L Shonk, Mr M J Sole, Mr P Stepto, Mr R G Streatfeild, MBE, Dr L Sullivan

Against (40)

Mr N Baker, Mr P V Barrington-King, Mr P Bartlett, Mr C Beart, Mrs C Bell, Mr T Bond, Mr A Booth, Miss S J Carey, Mrs S Chandler, Mr N J D Chard, Mrs P T Cole, Mr P Cole, Mr N J Collor, Mr D Crow-Brown, Mr M Dendor, Mr R W Gough, Ms S Hamilton, Mr P M Hill, OBE, Mr A R Hills, Mr D Jeffrey, Mr R C Love, OBE, Mr S C Manion, Mr R A Marsh, Mr J P McInroy, Mr J Meade, Mr D Murphy, Mr P J Oakford, Mr J M Ozog, Mrs S Prendergast, Mr A M Ridgers, Mr D Robey, Mr D Ross, Mr A Sandhu, MBE, Mr B J Sweetland, Mr R J Thomas, Mr D Watkins, Mr A Weatherhead, Mr S Webb, Mr J Wright and Ms L Wright

Abstain (2)

Mr T Cannon, Mr S Holden

Motion lost.